Moguls skier took top spot today at race in Spain

Steamboat Springs  Steamboat Springs skier Eliza Outtrim picked up her first World Cup moguls win Thurs­day at a competition in Spain.

“It’s pretty incredible. I honestly couldn’t believe it. It was so surreal for so long,” Outtrim said in a news release from the U.S. Ski Team. “I really did not expect this at all. I was really just hoping to get a top five, so this win is unbelievable.”

Austria’s Margarita Marbler was second, with Americans Heather McPhie and Hannah Kearney finishing third and fourth.

On a new World Cup course, Outtrim said conditions improved throughout the day, enabling her to have her best run of the year.

In the finals, Outtrim had to wait for Olympic gold medalist Kearney before she could pick up her first win.

“Hannah had trouble on the bottom, and they announced her in fourth,” Outtrim said. “It was so unexpected. All my teammates are skiing so well, and they’ve had such a great year. As a competitor you should always have the win in your mind, but I didn’t really have it in my mind.”

The win also set up Outtrim for a big 2011 season. She said after Thursday’s performance the focus next season will be on skiing faster, getting stronger and going bigger on her tricks.

“I think ending the World Cup on this note is going to be a big help for next year,” she said. “Hopefully I can just remember the feeling of that run and take it into next year.”

In the men’s event, Steam­boat’s Jeremy Cota was the top American in 10th, and fellow Steamboat skier Mike Morse was 35th. Guilbaut Colas of France won.

The team now heads to Squaw Valley, Calif., to close out the year at the Sprint U.S. Freestyle Championships from March 26 to 28.

Comments

freerider:
Unfortunately, we haven't been able to get our hands on any photos from the competition, but we should have posted a picture of Eliza when we first posted this story. I have added one now.
Thanks for the feedback.